Picture the scene: Alma and Amulek, humble servants of God, surrounded by antagonism in a wicked city as they face suave Zeezrom.

Zeezrom is an orator for adversaries bent on belittling.

We might imagine scornful laughs, superior countenances and haughty glances.

Then begin the spokesman's great, swelling words.

"Will ye answer me the questions which I shall put unto you?"

You can almost hear Zeezrom listening to himself as much as speaking to Alma and Amulek — dropping his voice to de-emphasize key words — words upon which meaning pivots — and raising his voice to catch them in a phrase as his admiring cronies wait, jeers ready at a split-second's notice (Alma 11-12).

The experience of Alma and Amulek is not one new to the scriptures. In fact, a theme appears to run through the entirety of the Holy Writ as the righteous face and overcome the derision of the world.

Antagonism and ridicule seem to be among the adversary's favorite tools. Many earlier prophets experienced such ridicule, as would many later prophets and missionaries.

In this exchange, however, Alma tells explicitly why Satan creates such settings and how Satan uses such settings.

"Thy plan was a very subtle plan, as to the subtlety of the devil, for to lie and to deceive this people that thou mightest set them against us, to revile us and to cast us out" (Alma 12:4, italics added).

Satan often stirs up peer pressure in an effort to silence and cast out God's messengers. Pharaoh enlisted it against Moses, as did the prophets of Baal against Elijah, Haman against Mordecai, and from certain Chaldeans in Nebuchadnezzar's court to worshippers of Diana in Ephesus.

And remember the mocking throngs in Lehi's dream?

Examples of the righteous few facing the scores of scornful are so prevalent that one might say that ridicule is one of the heritages of the faithful.

And that learning to transcend that influence is one of the obligations of the faithful.

During His mortal ministry the Savior often faced sarcasm and ridicule. Invariably He remained in control of the situation and used the subject to make His point.

On one occasion, when the "Pharisees had heard that [the Savior] had put the Sadducees to silence," one of them, a laywer, asked the Savior a question, "tempting him."

"Master, which is the great commandment in the law?" the lawyer asked.

"Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul and with all thy mind.

"This is the first and great commandment.

"And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

"On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

The Savior's reply was so successful that "no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions" (Matthew 22: 34-46).

Unfortunately, sometimes the willful voices of some are raised in inadvertent opposition.

In the Book of Mormon it is recorded that the sons of Mosiah remembered some Nephites had "laughed us to scorn" as the brothers prepared to teach the gospel to the Lamanites (Alma 26:23).

When the situation is difficult, sometimes it is best for the saints to hold their peace, "reviling not against revilers" (Doctrine and Covenants 19:30).

One of the strongest examples of this came when the Savior faced cruel and wicked Herod the tetrarch, at His trial, which was in and of itself an expression of extreme antagonism.

To Herod, who professed Israelite faith and knew the law and the prophets — whose very position as king of Galilee should welcome the promised Messiah — Jesus refused to dignify with a single word.

But to Pilate, a Roman procurator, the Savior took time to teach: "Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice" (John 18:37).

These and other examples remain vivid for us today.

His teachings on this subject also linger in our minds: "Resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. ..."

"Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

"That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven. ..."

"For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?" (Matthew 5:39, 44, 46).

As time draws forward, angry voices seem to grow louder.

As Latter-day Saints in these troubled times, we must rise above voices of ridicule and antagonism.

We must love those who would despitefully use us, and find teaching moments where possible.

Who among those who would be adversarial is beyond our friendship?

Who is beyond our interest in teaching? Who is beyond our ability to love?

Who is beyond the reach of love?

Who is beyond the bounds of the Atonement?

Remember, "A soft answer turneth away wrath" (Proverbs 15:1).

And remember Zeezrom, the once adversarial voice who later calmed, converted and became a great power for good.

The Nephites even named a city after him.